Method and apparatus for heating gem duck



. F. C. FIX.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING GEM DUCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26- 919.

1 402 4 4 Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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I vmmggq Q1 .mn MQXW a (may F. C. FIX.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING GEM DUCK. APELI'CATION FlLED SEPT. 26, 1919.

1,402,484. Patented Jan. 3,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

liven/tor awn C 3w 1 7 mfimil A F. C. FIX.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HE'ATING GEM DUCK.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 26, 919.

1 1O2,484, Pa-tented Jan. 3, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET.3.

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outrun STATES PATENT orsic FRANK e. FIX, or LANCASTER, P NNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR'TO nitiasrnoNe cons 'coMP NY, or PITTSB RGH, rnNNsYLvANm, e-coaroaa'rroN or PENNSYL- VANIA.

and exact description, reference being had i to the accompanying drawings, forming part a of thisspecification.

--The present invention relates broadly to heating materials in strip or circular form having an'adhesive coating applied thereto, and more particularly to a method and apparatusfor heating gem duck.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a compact apparatus by meansof which gem duclrmay be preliminarily softened to .facilitate' subsequent forming in on 'the inner sole, and then treated to soften the adhesive.

Another object of the invention is to maintain'the duck after the adhesive has been softened in such state that itis ready for use. p s 1 r Still'another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type referred to which may employ any one a of several difi'erent types of heatingsystems whereby the use ofhot water in the water box is unnecessary. Y i

The foregoing andother objects, together with their attendant advantages, will be apparent as the invention becomes better understood by-reference to the accompanying specification and drawing forming a part thereof, it being premised that changes may be made'in the various details andthemanner of operation within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. a

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in sectiorrof one form of a machine embodying my invention;

Figure 3 isa vertical section through the machine along the line III-+411]: of Fig ure1';- j r Figures 4 and 5 are a'plan view and a side elevation, respectively, of the steam table showing a modification, and

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Figure 2' is a plan view of such machine;

, METHOD AND arranerus son HEATING GEM nucx.

. Patented nae, 1922.

Application filed September 26, 1919. Serial No; 326,657. v 5

Figures 6 and are a planview and side 'yiew, respectively, of'the steam ing another modification. v .7 Gem duck is the name usually employed table showin the shoe manufacturing industry for can vas duck which is coated on one side with an adhesive, generally a gutta percha compound. This duck is used particularly for reinforcinginsoles, being applied to the insoles according to thewell'known gem or economy systems; of reinforcing. Duck,

as suppliedto the workmen in the shoe fac tory, comes in rolled strips, the strips being the proper width for application to an insole. In order to. render the adhesive coating on the duck tacky, or soft, soit may be. a

properly applied to the insole to'be reinforcecl,theduck is::heated. Thisis usually. done in machinesin which a roll of gem duck is placed and through which the strip tening and heating the gem'duck so as to supply it in the best condition for applioaneath thetableisa "water box 6 Whichis maintained full of water. An immersing roller 7 directs thev strips of gem duck 8 from the reels 4' beneath thesurface of the water so that the material'is saturated and preliminarily softened to facilitate forming in, as described. The immersing roller 7 is I F roin thew ater box '6, the stripsof duck pass up over suitably separated guide rollers 15 onto the top of the table 2. The top of f the table2 comprises asteam formingor containing chest 16,'supplied with a constant level of water by means of .a water "reservoir 17 closed at the top and having its open lower end l8' positioned that the'water 'level is maintained at the proper point. The steam chest may be heated by, a gas burner'19, orthe like, beneath or adjacent 20thereto. 5 Q1 a 7 The top ofthe steam chest for a portion of its length is provided with a large num-' ber of perforations 20 through which the steam passes andiis directed againstthe strips '8 of preliminarily softened gem duck which are being. drawn across the table, and drives tothe surface and softens the ad hesive sothat'the' stripsare ready for use. The gem duck, after thus being rendered 3O tackyby. the moist heat, is drawn from the I perforated portion of the table to theleft onto the solid orimperforate heated portion 20 where it is maintained in proper softened and stickycondition for use; The reel 4 is so placed thatthe duck travels around the rollers '7 and 15 with its sticky side outermost, and over the table 2 with its sticky side uppermost. In this machine the duck is first thor- 40 box to soften'the'duck body, and then is given a prolonged exposure to Tmoist heat as it is. drawn over the perforate portion 'of the table 2, so that-the adhesive coating is rendered as tacky as possible, and the strip in the best condition for its application to the insoles. r

In Figures 4t and 5 is illustrated a modi- .fication, in which the table instead of being provided with a water feed to the steam chest 16, is supplied directly with steam. The steam preferably at about one pound pressure, is supplied to the steam chest 16 by a a pipe 21, andthe water of condensation escapes through a drip pipe'22. The table is heated by theaction of the steam and due to the provision'of a-large number of perforations in a portion of its upper surface, asbefore described, a portion thereof escapes to moisten and heat the gem duck. -In Figures 6 and 7 is illu'stratedanother modificationin which water is supplied to the steam. chest '16, but instead of having the ste am chest heated by a gas fiame,as' in Figure 1, it is heated electrically by means oughly saturated with water in the water described.

of'an electrical resistance pad 23 suitably placed at or adjacent the bottom of the chamber 16. e j V WVhile I have specifically illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to its illustrated'embodimentfbut may be otherwise embodied (within the scopeof the following claims.

Iclaim: 7

1. A machine for heating and moistening gem duck, comprising a reel for holding a' roll of gem duck,a water box th'roughwhich the gem duck is-d'rawn, said box having means for immersing the gem duck therein,

and a perforated table supplied with steam and over which the gem duok is drawn, so

as to be exposed to thesoftening actionof the steam, substantially as described.

2. A machine for heating and moistening gem duck, comprising means for subjecting the duck tothe directaction of water, a per forated surface over which the gem duck. is subsequently drawn,'.and meanstfor supplying steam through the perforations to heat .and moisten the duck, substantially as described.

3. A machine for heating and moistening gem duck, comprising a water box through which the gem duck is first passed, and a perforated table on which the uncoated side only of the gem duck is afterward exposed to moist steam, substantially .as described.

4. A machine for heating and moistening gem duck, comprising meansifor subjecting 100 the duck tothe directaction of water, and

a steam table over which the gem duck is subsequently drawn and exposed on its uncoated side only to moist steam, substantially as described.

i 5. The method of preparing gem duck for application to insoles, which consists in preliminarily softening the same by one softening agent to facilitate the forming in thereof, subjecting the uncoated surface only of the duck so softened directly to the action of another softeni-rg; agent in the formof moist steam to drive the adhesive to the surfaceand soften the same, and then maintaining the heated and softened duck in such condition untilready for use, substantially as described. I I a 6. The .method of preparing gem; duck for application to insoles, which consists in softening the duck to facilitate the forming. in thereof, and then subjecting the duckon its uncoated side only directly to the action of moiststeam to drive the adhesive to the surface and soften the same, substantially as 7. A machine for heating and moistening gem duck, comprising atable over which the gem duck is drawn said table having a perforate end portion extending throughout a considerable portion of its length over which application to insoles, which consists in drawing a strip of gem duck through water 10 o moisten it and afterward subjecting its uncoated side only steam, substantially In testimony set my hand.

to contact with moist as described. o whereof, I have hereunto FRANK c. FIX. 

